Sickness All Around
by GwLp93
Summary: Amy and Ricky deal with John's first sickness, and Amy has frightening symptoms of her own that may be serious. Will they both be fine? Or will one of them be in serious danger? UPDATE: This is set just after John is born, before his first summer. Starts canon, becomes AU.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I, GWLP93, DO NOT OWN THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER...NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT, DESPITE ALL MY WISHING...**

**A/N: So this is my first SLOTAT story...tell me what you think about it and if I should continue...I have some dramatic and exciting stuff in store for this story, so if you want more please tell me...now, onto why you're reading this in the first place...

* * *

**

The hot water running over her tired muscles felt heavenly. Amy was just glad that the long day was over. John had been fussing needlessly all day and had demanded to be held at all possible times. Ricky had left a while ago, and it had taken her almost an hour to calm John down after his father left. After he finally calmed down she had jumped in the shower for some much needed relaxation time. Now she was just standing under the hot spray, already having washed her body and hair.

Amy was just wondering how long this peace and quiet would last when she heard John start crying in her bedroom. Sighing, she turned off the hot water and quickly stepped out of the shower. She secured her towel around her chest and ran into her room.

"What's wrong, baby? What do you need?" she cooed as she picked up a screaming John. She held him close and rocked him back and forth, but that didn't soothe the troubled baby. "Alright, let's try some food," she said, sitting down on her bed and pulling her towel down. John latched on for a few seconds, but then let go and resumed his crying. Starting to get frustrated, Amy pulled her towel back up. "Maybe you just need to be changed." She stood and walked over to the changing table, setting John down. He continued to cry as she unsnapped his onsie and removed his diaper. "A clean diaper! What is it that's got you so upset?" Amy quickly put on a new diaper, snapped his onsie, and picked him up. She was really getting frustrated now.

Amy reached for her phone and was about to dial her mom's number when she remembered her mom was on a date with David. Her mom was staying over at his house and had left her cell phone at home, saying that if there was an emergency Amy should just call George. So she dialed her dad's number and waited while it rung. John was still crying when she got his voicemail. She hung up the phone, now incredibly frustrated. Her dad and Ashley must have gone out to dinner, and now when she really needed some help, no one was around. She rocked John back and forth, humming absentmindedly as she wondered what to do next. It was almost midnight, and she had school tomorrow. She was exhausted and just wanted some sleep.

As John's cries increased in volume, Amy was almost in tears herself. She then decided to call Ricky. He might be able to calm John down. She quickly dialed his number and waited impatiently as it rang.

"'Ello?" A groggy voice said on the other side.

"Ricky?" Amy said in a small voice, trying to hold back her tears.

"Amy?" Ricky said, suddenly alert. "What's wrong? Why is John crying?"

"I don't know," Amy said desperately. "I tried to feed him, but he wouldn't eat, and I changed his diaper, and I tried everything I could think of but he won't calm down. And my mom's not here, and I don't know where my dad is, and I don't know what to do!" By now the tears had started to fall down her cheeks as she explained what was going on.

"Ok, Amy, just calm down," Ricky said, trying to soothe her. "I'll be there in about twenty minutes and then we'll figure this out, okay?"

"Okay," Amy sniffed, grateful that someone was finally able to help.

"I'll see you soon. Bye," and with that, Ricky hung up the phone.

Amy sunk down onto her bed, still rocking John back and forth, trying to comfort him. She tried to come up with a reason for the baby's incessant cries, but could think of nothing. She kissed John's forehead, humming a lullaby, when she noticed that he was a little warmer than usual. She became even more worried and quickly got up to look for the thermometer. She searched throughout her bathroom with no luck. Going down the stairs to the kitchen with John still cradled in her arms, she began looking in all the cupboards.

There was a knock at the door as she was searching through the kitchen. She would have laughed in relief if John wasn't still crying. She quickly rushed to the door and opened it, revealing a haggard looking Ricky. She pulled him into the house and closed the door. His eyebrows rose as he looked her up and down.

"Let me guess: you were showering when John started crying?" he stated, almost amused. Amy blushed when she realized that she was still in her towel; she had been so occupied with taking care of John that she had forgotten to put clothes on.

"Yeah," she murmured, handing the crying baby to Ricky. "Take him while I go change."

She then ran up the stairs and quickly pulled on sweats and a T-shirt, carelessly pulling her damp hair into a messy bun. As she turned toward her bedroom door, she suddenly got dizzy and had difficulty breathing. She grabbed onto her bedpost to keep from falling over, but the dizziness passed as suddenly as it came, and she was able to gain control of her breathing. She shook her head to clear it and told herself that the dizziness was probably because of lack of sleep. Hearing John's crying quiet a little, she ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. There she found Ricky rocking John, who was only fussing now.

"I think he has a little fever," she stated walking into the kitchen and continuing her search for the thermometer.

Ricky pressed his lips to John's forehead and then nodded in agreement. "What are you looking for?"

"The thermometer, I know I just had it, but now it magically disappeared," Amy said, frustrated.

Ricky looked thoughtful for a second before replying, "I think I saw it in the silverware drawer, next to the spoons."

Amy's head snapped up in surprise. She walked over to the drawer mumbling, "Why would a thermometer be in the silverware..." Her sentence stopped as she opened the drawer and saw the thermometer laying next to the spoons. "Oh," she said, surprised. "Thanks."

Ricky nodded in reply. Amy carried the thermometer over to the table where Ricky was standing holding John.

"The doctor said that we should take his temperature rectally for the first couple of months," Amy said, avoiding eye contact with Ricky. "I think you're going to have to do it, I don't think I can."

Ricky looked hesitant for a moment, but then he handed John to Amy. "Alright, I'll do it, but you get diaper duty for tonight."

Amy nodded quickly and took John into her arms, sitting down at the table to unwrap his blanket and unsnap his onsie. She removed his diaper, relieved to find that he was at least still going pee. That had to mean that he wasn't terribly sick, right? She gently laid him on the table on top of his blanket and lifted his legs, holding his thighs against his chest so that Ricky could take his temperature. She didn't look as Ricky inserted the thermometer, and she cooed at John as he started to cry in discomfort. They both tried to soothe John as they waited for the beep from the thermometer. The device finally beeped and they both sighed in relief as Ricky removed the thermometer and looked at the reading.

"100.1," Ricky said, reading the display screen. Amy put a fresh diaper on John and snapped his onsie into place.

"That's not _really_ bad, right?" she asked with relief in her voice as she picked John up and cradled him in her arms.

"No, I don't think so," Ricky replied. "But I think we should call his pediatrician to make sure."

"Alright, well I'm going to try to feed him again now that he's more comfortable," Amy said, putting the blanket over her shoulder to cover her exposed breast while John nursed. Ricky nodded and picked up the phone while she pulled up her shirt and got John to latch on and start nursing.

"Is he eating now?" Ricky asked while dialing the pediatrician's number.

"Yeah," Amy replied, relieved.

Ricky waited patiently while the phone rang, watching Amy as she nursed John. A woman groggily answered the phone.

"Dr. Greening?" Ricky asked as Amy tried to listen to what was being said. "Hi, this is Ricky Underwood, John Juergens' father, and I was calling because my son has a bit of a fever, and we're not sure what to do."

Amy assumed the woman asked what John's temperature was because Ricky said, "100.1...Yeah, he's nursing right now, and he just needed a diaper change...Okay, is there anything else we need to do? ...Alright, well thank you so much...Trust me, I won't forget...Okay, bye." He hung up the phone after thanking the woman again and turned to Amy and his nursing son.

"The doctor says that it's probably nothing to worry about, and that we should monitor his temperature all night to see if it goes up. She said that if it goes down during the night and stays down then he should be fine to go back to daycare by Friday." Ricky relayed the news given to him by the doctor as he leaned against the counter. Amy sagged in relief and nodded.

"Is there anything we can do to make him more comfortable in the meantime?" she questioned, wondering if anyone was going to get any sleep tonight.

Ricky nodded, saying, "She said we could give him a sponge bath in lukewarm water and keep him in light clothes and blankets."

"Okay," Amy replied, "we can give him the bath after he's done nursing and then put him in his lighter clothes." Ricky nodded in agreement and slumped down into the chair next to Amy. They both looked exhausted, but they knew that the night was far from over.

* * *

**So please tell me what you thought...even if you didn't like it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own SLOTAT...BUT it is on my Christmas wishlist....**

**A/N: So I just wanted to quickly thank all those who read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story!!! You guys (and girls) are AWESOMELY AMAZINGLY WONDERFULLY AWESOME, AMAZING, AND WONDERFUL!!!!!...just thought you should know...now on to the reason you're here:  
**

* * *

When John was finished eating, Amy pulled her top back down and took the blanket away from her shoulder. She cradled him against her chest and rocked him back and forth, trying to get him to fall asleep. Taking a glance at Ricky, she noticed that he had fallen asleep with his head tilted back, soft snores coming from his mouth. She almost giggled at the sight. Focusing back on John, she noticed that his eyes had slipped closed and his breathing was light and even. Relieved, she gently stood and walked over to Ricky's chair, tapping him on the shoulder. She figured they could give John the bath when he woke up.

Ricky jerked awake and was about to say something when Amy put her finger to her lips then pointed down to a sleeping John. Ricky nodded in understanding.

"I just woke you because you seemed uncomfortable," Amy whispered.

"Oh, thanks," Ricky said, standing up.

"You can go sleep on the couch if you want," Amy whispered, gesturing to the living room, "I'll wake you up when it's time to take his temperature again."

Ricky nodded sleepily and shuffled toward the living room. Figuring she might be able to catch a few winks herself, Amy climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She quickly set the alarm on her phone to wake her up in two hours to take John's temperature again. She changed him into a light onsie and wrapped him in a thin blanket. Knowing that he would fuss the minute she put him down, she simply laid down in her bed and set him next to her on his back. She smiled when he snuggled into her side. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow she fell into a light sleep.

She was jerked awake when she felt someone pick John up. Panic set in for a moment before she looked around and realized that it was just Ricky.

He looked apologetic as he cradled John. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but John was fussing and I didn't want him to wake you up."

"It's fine," Amy murmured, glancing at her phone for the time. 1:53. Her alarm was about to go off any minute, so she figured they could just check his temperature now. "We should check his temperature soon anyway."

Ricky smirked. "You sure you can handle it?"

"Yeah," Amy said, standing up and rolling her eyes, "I'm sure I can handle it."

When they reached the kitchen they repeated the action of getting John ready and then inserting the thermometer. He cried again in discomfort and both parents tried to soothe his cries. The device beeped and after removing it Ricky reported the temperature.

"100 even."

"That's good," Amy said, rocking John to calm him down. "It's coming down."

"Yeah, and I guess now's a good time to give him that bath, since he's awake." Amy nodded lazily as she trudged toward the sink, handing John to Ricky as she went. After pulling his baby tub out of the cupboard under the sink, she turned the faucet on and tested the temperature. When she was sure the water was lukewarm, she settled the tub into the sink and let the faucet fill it slightly. She then turned the water off and faced Ricky. She was surprised to find that he had already removed John's clothes and was holding him in just the light blanket, waiting for her to get the tub ready.

"Is the water _lukewarm_?" Ricky asked, smirking.

Amy's lips quirked up in a grin. "You can check it if you want."

"Nah, I trust you," Ricky said with a tired smile, brushing past Amy and removing John's blanket before gently lowering the infant into the tub. Amy handed him a washcloth, and he submerged it in the water before tenderly running it over John's slightly feverish skin. The baby relaxed at the feel of the water and his father's touch.

"I don't know how you do it," Amy stated in wonder, trying to hold back a yawn.

"Do what?" Rick asked in a low voice, still running the washcloth over John's arms and legs.

"I don't know, it's like you have the magic touch; he always calms down as soon as you hold him," she replied, a little frustrated. Ricky just shrugged and continued bathing his son.

When John was nearly asleep Ricky pulled him out of the tub and Amy handed him a towel. After he was dry they put his onsie back on and lightly wrapped him in the blanket.

"So now what?" Ricky asked, handing the sleeping bundle to Amy.

"Now we try to sleep when he's sleeping," she told him, "and check his temperature again in about two hours."

She was already walking toward the stairs when she noticed Ricky was moving toward the living room.

"You can come upstairs with me, if you want," she suggested. "I mean it'll be easier with John and I might not hear the alarm."

Ricky looked surprised for a moment, but quickly agreed, mostly because the couch wasn't very comfortable. He followed her up the stairs and hesitated slightly at the door before moving to sit at the far side of the bed. After removing his shoes, he laid back on the bed and almost fell asleep instantly. He stayed awake only long enough to see that Amy had set her alarm and then laid back, placing John in between them. When he heard her breathing even out, he relaxed into the pillows and drifted off to sleep.

About an hour later they awoke to John's crying, but Amy quickly fed him and put him back to sleep; they both fell asleep again not long after John. The alarm on Amy's phone jerked her awake, and she quickly silenced it so it wouldn't disturb John or Ricky. She stood beside the bed for a moment, just watching father and son sleep. They both seemed so peaceful and content; she couldn't help smiling at the sight. She didn't want to disturb them, but she knew they had to take John's temperature soon. She moved around the bed and placed her hand on Ricky's shoulder, gently shaking him. He stirred and then opened his eyes, blinking a couple times to adjust to the light that had been turned on.

"Come on, we have to check his temperature again," Amy murmured, picking up the still sleeping infant. Ricky nodded wearily and pulled himself from the bed.

John didn't complain as much this time when they took his temperature, and the reading was encouraging.

"99.8," Ricky reported, and both parents sighed in relief.

"Isn't the normal for babies 99.6?" Amy asked. "So next time it'll probably be about there and we just have to make sure it stays there all tomorrow-well, technically, today-and then he'll be fine to go back to daycare."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Ricky said, nodding.

"So, now that John's up, what do you want to do?" Amy questioned, her eyes on the baby that seemed wide awake.

Ricky shrugged then gestured to the living room. "We could watch TV, or put him on his play mat."

"Okay," she agreed, picking John up from the table and carrying him into the living room, Ricky following close behind her. She knelt down and carefully laid John on his back under the arches from which hung little stuffed animals for him to play with. She then settled down on the floor next to him and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on. Ricky sat on the floor on the other side of John and started playing with his son as Amy flicked through the channels.

"I guess I'm not surprised that there's nothing on at," she glanced at her phone, "4:18 in the morning."

The most interesting thing she could find that wasn't trashy and inappropriate was Man Vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. They were both sleepily intrigued with the things the man was doing on the show. They watched it until the sky started to become light and John finally fell asleep.

Amy glanced at her phone again (5:27) and then turned her gaze to Ricky who had his back leaning against the front of the sofa, eyes drooping.

"I don't think I could make it through a day of school right now," she told him, trying to hold back a yawn.

"Me neither," he agreed, yawning himself.

"Then I guess we're not going," Amy sighed, relieved. "John looks pretty comfortable, so I'm just gonna get a little more comfy myself." She scooted forward so that she could lay down and have John directly in her line of sight.

"That sounds pretty good," Ricky said, mimicking her movements so that now they lay on either side of John, their heads resting on their arms. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep, relieved that today they wouldn't have to worry about the stresses of school.

* * *

Anne tried to quietly sneak in the kitchen door, afraid John and Amy were still asleep; it was nearly six-thirty and Amy should be getting up to get ready for school, but nowadays Amy usually slept in as long as John would allow. Hearing the soft murmurs the TV was making, she walked into the living room, only to pause at the sight there.

Amy, John, and Ricky were all sleeping on the floor, looking perfectly content. She noted that Amy and Ricky looked exhausted, and figured they must have had a long night taking care of John. She would ask Amy about it later.

Knowing that they wouldn't be able to do much thinking in their current state, she decided that she could let them miss one day of school. She tiptoed around them to turn the TV off and then crept quietly up the stairs to get ready for her day. When she came back down half an hour later, they were in the same positions as the last time she saw them. She called the school to tell them that Amy and Ricky wouldn't be in for the day, and then called the daycare at the church to tell them that Amy and John wouldn't be able to come.

After quickly writing a note and attaching it to the refrigerator door, she quietly left to go to work.

* * *

Amy slowly woke up, not sure what had caused her gain of consciousness. Maybe it was the bright sun glaring right into her eyes. Blinking multiple times to get the sleep out of her eyes, she sat up and studied her surroundings. John was stirring, and she figured he might be hungry. She gently lifted him off the mat and carried him into the kitchen to keep from waking Ricky. She sat at the table as John was nursing and noticed a note, probably from her mom, on the refrigerator.

She jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry," she heard Ricky mumble as he came around in front of her and sat in the chair next to hers.

"It's alright. Could you grab that note on the fridge? I think it's from my mom," she gestured with her head toward the note.

Ricky grabbed the note and sat back down at the table. "Amy and Ricky," he read, "I called the school and daycare to tell them you wouldn't be there today. You looked like you needed a day off. I'll be home around seven, so if you get hungry there's plenty of food in the cupboards. Have a nice day, Anne."

Amy nodded and turned towards Ricky. "All we have to do now is make sure John's fever stays down... And I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

* * *

**A/N: So for now bitchy Amy and jerk Ricky go away because John is sick. And I know this chapter isn't very exciting, but I think the next one will be better...I hope. And I didn't reread this, so please excuse any mistakes. **

**Tell me what you thought!!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own SLOTAT.....yadda, yadda, yadda, it's old news**

**A/N: So I decided to post this now even though I hadn't been planning on having this done so soon...and again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted!!!! You make my day!! And I can't think of anything else to say right about now....it's late, gimme a break. I just started writing this, planning to go to bed at about 1, but I seem to love writing late at night while everyone else is snoozin.....ANYWAY, onto the story...**

* * *

After having breakfast they checked John's temperature again.

"99.6," Ricky sighed in relief, "I guess it really was nothing."

"I guess so," replied Amy, also relieved.

"And," Ricky smirked, "we don't have to go to school today."

Amy scoffed and playfully smacked Ricky's arm. The rest of the day was uneventful, John's temperature staying down, and Ricky and Amy catching up on sleep when John slept. Ben had called that morning when he realized Amy wasn't in school, but she quickly told him what had happened; she left out the fact that Ricky had stayed the night, knowing that Ben would just get annoyingly jealous. By about three they were both pretty well rested and Ricky was about to leave to go to work.

"So just call me if you need anything," Ricky quietly said, standing in the doorway. John was asleep upstairs.

"Sure," Amy nodded, "thanks. And you don't need to come back tonight, I'm sure you're still tired and I can handle things here."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then." Ricky backed out of the doorway.

Amy nodded and closed the door. Of course, John started crying. Amy sighed and started up the stairs to try to get him to quiet down.

xxxxx

She was almost falling asleep in the car on the way to school. Ricky had come over that morning to bring John to daycare again, so they were heading straight to school. The night before she had been so worried that she had only gotten a couple hours of sleep, just watching John and making sure he was alright. His fever had stayed down, and she knew it was nothing, but she stayed up anyway.

"Amy!" Her mom's shout pulled her from her thoughts to realize that they had arrived at school.

"Oh," she mumbled, shaking her head to erase the sleepiness. "Thanks mom."

"And Amy," her mom said as she slid out of the car, "I can't pick you up today; I have a meeting. You can just call George or get a ride from Ben or something. I'll see you when I get home."

Amy just nodded and closed her door. She really didn't want to be at school today, but she knew she couldn't take two days off; she would just have to pay attention to the best of her ability.

By the time lunch rolled around she was exhausted and incredibly irritated. She had been yelled at more than once by teachers who had caught her nodding off. She sat huffily at her usual table and pulled out her bag of animal crackers.

Ben plopped into the seat next to her and loped his arm around her shoulder. She was about to shrug it off, but then thought of how that would probably start a fight; she was too tired to fight and she might end up saying something she didn't mean.

"So how has your day been?" asked Ben as he removed his arm to start on his own lunch.

"Terrible," she muttered, nibbling on her crackers.

"What?" he asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Because I'm exhausted after worrying about John last night and my teachers are yelling at me and all I wanna do is just go to sleep!" She said all in one breath, frustrated.

"Okay," said Ben, not sure whether to comfort her or just leave her alone. "But I have a question for you about yesterday." He was trying not to anger her, but he had to know.

"What?" she snapped.

"Well...it's just that I noticed that Ricky wasn't in school yesterday either and at work when I tried to ask him where he was, he just brushed me off. I was just wondering if he was with you."

"Yes, Ben, Ricky was at my house helping me take care of John." She was really getting irritated.

"Please don't tell me he was there all night," Ben pleaded.

"Actually, he was there all night, because his son was sick." She knew this conversation was going to lead to a fight, but she couldn't help getting annoyed at his jealousy.

"You know how uncomfortable that makes me, Amy. Why couldn't your mom or dad help you?"

"Because, Ben, neither of them were home. And John is Ricky's responsibility anyway. And that means that you're just going to have to deal with him staying at my house sometimes!" She was now shouting and just wanted to run away.

"No, Amy! I won't allow it! I don't like the fact that-"

Amy interrupted him, furious. "You won't allow it? You have absolutely no right to tell me what I can and cannot do! Especially when it comes to John spending time with his father! If Ricky staying over is what's best for John, then Ricky will stay over, whether you allow it or not!"

She was so angry that she couldn't stand being around him anymore. She quickly grabbed her things and ran to the nearest bathroom. She locked herself in the first stall she came across. Her sobs shook her body, but she tried to keep them quiet.

Honestly, she hated fighting with Ben. She always felt so petty and selfish afterword. But Ben was out of line trying to control her, and his jealousy irritated her to no end. John was her son, and she would try to do what was best for him, even if that meant having Ricky stay overnight. And besides, Ben had nothing to worry about; sure she had feelings for Ricky, but that was just because he was a good father to John. And even if she did have other feelings for him, Ricky was with Adrienne.

After staying in the bathroom the whole period after lunch, Amy decided that she should stop hiding. She could still avoid Ben while going to class. The only thing that would come from them talking to each other right now was another fight; she was too exhausted to even think about that. So for the remainder of the day she steered clear of where she knew Ben would be and was relieved that he didn't come to her locker.

By the time the end of the day rolled around, she was dead on her feet; her vision was a little hazy and she couldn't stop yawning. She only remembered that she needed a ride when she saw Ben going out the door with his book bag slung over his shoulder. Asking for a ride from him would be awkward and difficult right now, and honestly she needed more sleep before she could even try to think about talking to him again. Pulling her phone out of her purse, she scrolled through the contacts and pressed the send button when she saw "Dad." It rang six times before going to voice mail. She sighed, frustrated and leaned her head against her locker. Now she had no ride to work, and she couldn't be late after taking yesterday off.

"Are you really so tired that you'll fall asleep leaning against your locker?" a familiar voice questioned behind her.

She spun around to face a smirking Ricky. "That, and I don't have a ride to work, so I figured I'd just get comfortable until one of my parents can come pick me up." She didn't want to impose on him by asking for a ride; he had a job, too.

"I can take you," he said, gesturing toward the doors to the parking lot, "it's kinda on my way anyway."

"Are you sure? I don't want to make you late or anything." She was hoping he would say yes; she wanted to see John and didn't want to stay in the empty school just waiting for her parents.

"Yeah," he said, pulling her gently toward the doors. "If we leave now, neither of us will be late."

"Alright," she agreed with hesitance, though she was walking beside him now.

When they pushed open the doors into the bright sunlight, she felt her heart start beating wildly in her chest. She grabbed Ricky's arm for support as her head started to spin and she had difficulty breathing. Alarmed, he grabbed her waist to steady her.

"Amy?" he asked looking panicked.

She tried to control her breathing as her heart slowly returned to it's natural pace.

"Amy? Are you alright?" He sounded worried, and she pushed his hands away, nodding and still slightly out of breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine." What had just happened had scared her, but she put on a calm face and smiled slightly. "Though I think I'll take a nap when I get home."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He still sounded a little worried and had his hands hovering in the air between them in case she fell over.

"Yes, I'm positive," she assured him, starting toward his car; he still kept a wary hand on her arm while they walked to his car.

During the whole ride to the daycare the atmosphere was slightly tense and little was said. He kept furtively glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, almost as if he was expecting her to suddenly disappear. When they arrived at the daycare she quickly unbuckled her seat belt and gathered her things, anxious to leave the tense silence.

As she opened her door he cleared his throat. "So I'll come by when I'm done work."

"Okay," she said as she got out of the car.

"Just-" he hesitated, looking cautious, "be careful, okay?"

"Ricky, I'm fine," she stated firmly, standing by the open door and leaning down to be able to see him.

"Alright, alright," he raised his hands in surrender, shaking his head. "I'll see you later."

"Yep," she said, shutting the car door then walking into the daycare center. Today had been a long day and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and come out only when she had slept until she couldn't sleep anymore. Sighing, she trudged into work, telling herself that in a couple of hours she would be able to sleep. It couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

**So there you have it. It's a little short, I know, but I like where it ends, and it covers a good amount of time compared to the last two**. **I try to catch all mistakes, but I'm sure I missed some so if you see one tell me and I'll try to fix it.....and I know this update is a little later than the last one, but honestly I'm lazy, and I recently discovered how much I like the show Greek, so of course I have to watch the episodes and such. AND I'm trying (and failing) to read the 6th HP book before I see the movie....MIDNIGHT SHOWING, wooo!!!**

**I know, enough with excuses....reviews make me happy!! Though I'm fine with you just reading, I like when my little stats chart has high columns.....ANYWAY, I'm babbling, and its late, so I'll end this here.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never will be...**

**A/N: Okay, sorry about the delay, I had planned on having this up last night, but I got sidetracked and I had to pack. I was about 3/4 of the way done but when the clock said 4:30 I decided to just leave it until today. I hope this lives up to expectations!! OH and thanks again to everyone who read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited!! I love you people!!  
**

* * *

Immediately after getting home, Amy went straight into the living room and just sat on the couch. She was beyond exhausted. It was almost like she had been on autopilot at the daycare; she could barely remember doing anything. She had placed John still in his carrier next to her on the couch. Thankfully he was asleep. She could hear her mother bustling around in the kitchen, probably making dinner. Her stomach grumbled and she realized how hungry she was. She had only eaten animal crackers for lunch because of her fight with Ben, and now she was beginning to regret that choice.

She had just begun to wonder when Ricky would arrive when there was a knock at the door. Wearily, she got off the couch and lifted John in his carrier, dragging her feet to get to the door. She pulled it open to reveal Ricky. Without a word, she handed him the carrier, mumbled something that sounded like "Nap," and shuffled up to her bedroom. When she got there she didn't even have enough energy to take off her shoes; she just fell onto the bed with a sigh and fell asleep instantly.

Ricky stood in the door for a second, confused, before entering the house and closing the door behind him.

"Ricky, is that you?" Anne called from the kitchen.

"Yeah," he answered, walking into the kitchen with his son in tow.

Anne glanced up at him from a pot on the stove. When she saw that he was alone, she looked confused. "Where's Amy?"

"I think she said something about a nap..." Ricky wasn't entirely what Amy had said, but he knew how tired she had been today and figured that's what she meant before she shuffled up the stairs.

"Oh," Anne only seemed a little surprised as she turned back to her cooking. "She did seem kinda tired today."

"Yeah...hey did you notice anything weird about her lately?" He tried to phrase it casually, but seeing the slight worry in her eyes he knew he hadn't succeeded.

"No, why? Is something wrong?" Anne was now searching his face for any clues as to what he was talking about, worried about her daughter.

"No, no! I guess she was just tired," he assured her, not wanting to worry her needlessly.

"Okay..." She was still wary as she turned back to the pot again.

"I'm just gonna go into the living room," he said quickly, picking up the infant who had apparently woken during their conversation and was now watching them with curious eyes. He moved into the living room to wait for Anne to finish dinner and to keep John quiet so as not to wake Amy.

Amy still hadn't come downstairs by the time dinner was ready, and Anne and Ricky figured they should just let her sleep. Ricky prepared a bottle of formula for John, and John lay in his carrier while Ricky fed him and ate dinner with Anne. They made some small talk, but most of dinner was spent in a comfortable silence.

When he was finished Ricky thanked Anne and rocked his son to sleep. After cleaning up and leaving a plate of dinner in the microwave for when Amy woke up, Anne quietly excused herself and went to bed. Ricky sat on the couch in the living room, simply watching his son sleep. He marveled at how much his life had changed since John had been born: he had rarely ever stayed in on weekends, and now here he was on a Friday night, completely content to just stay in and take care of his son. He still liked going out, but he also liked just being with his son. Starting to drift off, he figured he could take a nap and then go home when Amy woke up.

Amy was awakened by her stomach demanding food. She groggily slipped out of bed and shuffled downstairs. She was surprised to find Ricky sleeping on the couch with John nestled in his arms. Deciding not to disturb them right now, she walked to the kitchen in search of food. She popped open the microwave hoping her mom had put some leftovers there, and grinned at her luck. After quickly heating and eating (it rhymes!) dinner, she moved back into the living room.

She gently shook Ricky's shoulder, trying to wake him but not John. "Ricky," she whispered, "time to wake up." He stirred and slowly opened his eyes.

"What time is it," he mumbled groggily, rubbing at his eyes with the hand that wasn't holding John.

"It is," she paused, looking at her phone, "12:48."

"Okay, then I guess I better get home." He slowly stood from the couch and handed a slumbering John to Amy. Stretching his sore muscles, he walked to the door. As he stood in the doorway he whispered, "I can come by in the early afternoon tomorrow."

"Okay," she agreed. "I might take him to the park, so text or call me when you're coming."

"Alright," he mumbled, already turning toward his car. She softly closed the door and rocked John as he stirred, but thankfully he didn't wake. She then proceeded up the stairs to get some more sleep now that she had eaten.

xxxx

Enjoying the sun on her skin, she walked around the park. She carefully kept an eye on John to make sure only the fresh air was able to reach him and not the sun's harmful rays. She was just planning on walking around the park once or twice to give John some fresh air and a change in scenery. The decision to bring him here had been made because Anne was again with her boyfriend, and Amy didn't think it was fair that both she and John had to be cooped up inside. It was a beautiful day and she figured they could enjoy it, at least for a couple minutes.

Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she pulled it out and noticed a text from Ricky. _I'm on my way._ She figured now was a good time as any to go back home, and luckily her house was just about a minute's walk from the park.

"Don't worry John," she murmured to the child asleep in the carriage, "We'll come back here soon. I promise."

She had only been home a couple minutes before Ricky knocked on the door. She quickly opened it then walked back into the kitchen. Ricky followed behind her and smiled when he saw his son was awake.

"Hey buddy," he greeted his son, then turned to Amy. "So did you take him to the park?"

She nodded, "Yeah, and even though he was asleep through the whole thing, I think he liked it."

Ricky smirked. "Sure."

Then John started fussing, and Ricky checked his diaper to see if it was wet. It was.

"I think it's your turn to do diaper duty," he said, picking John up and handing him to Amy, who scowled.

"I think we should just give him a bath, and then we can worry about a new diaper." She motioned toward the cupboard under the sink, "You know where it is and how to set it up."

After making sure Ricky was setting up the bath she turned toward the table and took off John's onsie along with his dirty diaper. She grinned evilly, wondering if she should throw the soiled diaper at Ricky, but thought better of it because she knew he would retaliate. The kitchen was pretty clean at the moment, and her mom wanted it to stay that way.

Once again Ricky was the one to bathe John, and John fell asleep in no time. Amy toweled John dry while Ricky put the bath away. They then moved to go upstairs to get John new clothes and a new diaper. Amy was in the hallway when she started to feel dizzy again. Fearing that she might drop him, she handed John to Ricky.

"Here, take him," she shakily told Ricky. Now her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might jump out of her chest, and she found taking a breath was becoming increasingly more difficult.

"What's wrong?" Ricky questioned as she slumped against the wall breathing heavily with her hand on her chest.

"No...nothing," she panted, "I...I'm..."

Suddenly her eyes rolled upwards and her body went totally limp. Ricky quickly rushed a now crying John to Amy's bedroom and laid him gently on the bed. He would comfort the baby once he knew what was wrong with Amy. Then he nearly ran back into the hallway to Amy's limp form on the ground. Not knowing what to do, he lightly shook her to try to get her to wake. When that didn't work he tried to check her pulse in her neck, but couldn't find it. Thinking this might be because of his mediocre healthcare skills, he checked her wrist. Still no pulse.

Panicked, he whipped out his phone and dialed 911 before starting CPR. He was now grateful that his foster mother had made him take the course at the clinic. After doing the chest compressions he blew the required breaths into her mouth and started the chest compressions again.

"This is 911, what is your emergency?" a calm female voice spoke into the phone.

"My friend just fainted and her heart stopped beating," Ricky frantically spoke into the receiver while still administering CPR.

"Alright, do you know how to do CPR?" the lady was still using a calm voice that was beginning to get on Ricky's nerves. Amy might be dying and this lady sounded like she was asking about the weather.

"Yeah," he ground through his teeth, "that's what I'm doing now."

"Okay, well just tell me where you are and I'll send paramedics as quickly as possible."

Ricky relayed the information and then stayed on the line while the lady continued to encourage him to not give up. His relief was beyond words when he heard the sirens coming down the street. John was still crying from Amy's room, but there was nothing he could do about the baby until the paramedics took care of Amy.

He heard the door downstairs burst open and almost fell over in relief.

"Up here!" he yelled to the paramedics. He heard them moving quickly up the stairs and finally they came into view with their big, bulky bags.

"Alright son, we'll take over from here," the nearest paramedic said, gently pushing Ricky away as he now started CPR while the other checked Amy over.

Ricky dashed into Amy's room and cradled John, but John wouldn't quiet down. Ricky moved back into the hallway in time to see the paramedics hook up two pads to Amy's chest and call "Clear!" before her body jolted from the electricity. One of them checked her pulse and shook his head. The other shouted "Clear!" again. For a second time the electricity coursed through her body.

This time when the paramedic checked her pulse he nodded and said to his colleague, "It's weak, but its there." This caused Ricky to slump against the wall in relief, still holding John who was now whimpering. One paramedic ran down the stairs to get the stretcher while the other turned to Ricky.

"I need to know her name, age, any known allergies, and any medical conditions."

"Uh," Ricky didn't really know very much about Amy. "Her name's Amy, she's fifteen, I don't know if she has any allergies, and she just had a baby, if that means anything."

The paramedic nodded and turned back to Amy, injecting her with something. The other paramedic had gotten the stretcher up the stairs by now and they gently but quickly moved Amy onto it. Ricky stood rooted to the spot as they proceeded to carry her down the stairs and out the door. He didn't know what to do. His mind was too stunned by what had just happened. Amy had seemed fine before, and now she was being raced to the hospital, fighting for her life. Everything had happened so fast.

He just hoped that she would be okay.

* * *

**A/N: OOOHHhh what's gonna happen next?!?!?!? I wonder!! Oh yeah, I know! **

**So any guesses about what's wrong with Amy? I'd love to hear your thoughts. **

**This was a hard one to end, cause I wasn't sure if I should do a cliffy and end it with her heart stopping or put some more stuff in for the sake of length. I decided to go with length because I hate short chapters and I'm sure you do too.**

**And I'm sorry, but I'm going to the beach this week and may not be able to update till I get back. I promise I'll try, but I dunno if they have internet there. If it makes you feel any better, I have to be in a car with my parents for hours, and I'll probably get sunburn cause of my damn pasty skin. **

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: blah, blah, blah, not mine, so on and so forth...**

**A/N: I am soooooooo so so so sorry for the incredibly long wait!!! I got back Saturday, and my only excuse is that I get INCREDIBLY distracted....and sometimes my cat decides to lay on the keyboard. Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews!!! And thank you to those who read, favorited, and alerted! I know this one is a little short, but I am having some serious issues with concentrating right now, so I figured this is better than nothing.  
**

* * *

Ricky was snapped out of his trance when he heard George's panicked voice.

"Oh my God! Amy! What happened?" After hearing this Ricky went to rush down the stairs and try to explain when he realized that John was still only wrapped in a towel. He quickly dashed into Amy's room and put a diaper and onsie on the infant before going downstairs and out the front door. He found the paramedics and Ashley trying to calm George down as they loaded an unconscious Amy into the back of the ambulance. George spotted Ricky coming out of the house with John and quickly moved toward him, Ashley trailing behind.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded.

Ricky shrugged, still trying to calm John and attempting to appear calm himself. "I don't know, she was fine one minute and then she fainted and her heart stopped." He tried to keep his worry out of his voice so as not to alarm George.

It didn't work very well. "What?!" George shouted. He was about to say something else when a paramedic interrupted him.

"Sir, we have to go now; there's no room in the ambulance, but you can follow us to the hospital." George immediately nodded and started toward his car.

"Wait, Mr. Jeurgens!" Ricky shouted, causing George and Ashley to turn around. "What should I do?"

"Uh, I don't know, Ricky. If you want you can come and bring John to the hospital," he suggested and turned back to his car.

"Okay," Ricky replied, going back into the house to retrieve John's bag and place John in his carrier. After closing the front door and securing John in his car seat Ricky tried to maneuver through traffic quickly but safely.

When he arrived at the hospital, he removed John from the back seat and walked into the ER waiting room. He saw George and Ashley sitting in the plastic chairs and walked over to them.

"So did you hear anything yet?" he inquired as he sat in the chair next to George and placed John's carrier in the next chair.

George despondently shook his head. "They won't tell us anything."

Ricky solemnly nodded and turned his attention to John who was still fussing. He figured he would just wait until they heard anything from the doctors.

After an hour of waiting and trying to calm John down Ricky decided it would be best if he just went back to the Jeurgens' house. John just wouldn't calm down, and he figured the familiar setting might help. Anne had arrived not shortly after himself, and as he was leaving he asked them to call him if they heard anything.

When he got back to the house he was finally able to get John to settle down and sleep. As he watched his son sleep his mind wandered to Amy. She had scared the crap out of him when she had fainted and her heart stopped beating. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't been here.

Shaking his head to clear it of those upsetting thoughts, Ricky went downstairs with the baby monitor to find something to distract him. He grabbed a snack and went into the living room to try to watch TV. Just as he found an interesting show his phone started ringing in his pocket. He quickly picked it up without looking to see who it was.

"Hello," he said nervously, hoping it was someone from Amy's family with news.

"Hi, Ricky, it's Anne." She sounded like she had been crying, which immediately made Ricky tense.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay? Did the doctors say anything?" He was worried and wanted answers.

"Well, the doctor came and talked to us just a minute ago," Anne replied, sighing. "He said that they think there's something wrong with Amy's heart, and they're running tests now. She's not awake yet, but they're letting us see her before they take her for more testing."

"So they don't know what's wrong yet?" Ricky asked, frustrated with the doctors.

He could hear Anne take a shaky breath. "No, not yet, but he said they're trying their best to figure out the problem." She paused. "The doctor also told us that if you hadn't given her CPR, there's a good chance she wouldn't have made it." Now she was definitely crying. "Thank you so much, Ricky. If you hadn't been there..." she trailed off, sobbing.

Ricky didn't know what to say. Anybody would have done the same if in that position, so he didn't think he deserved much credit. "You should really thank my foster mother, she's the one who made me take the CPR classes. And besides, I'm sure other people would have done the same thing."

"Yeah, well, it was still you who did it, and I'm so glad you were there," she said, sniffing. "Could you tell me what happened? The doctor said it might help in figuring out what's wrong."

"Uh, yeah." It wasn't exactly something he wanted to think about, but he would tell them every detail if it helped. "Well, we had just given John a bath and were coming upstairs to get him some new clothes when she just stopped and handed him to me. She looked a little pale and it sounded like she was having a hard time breathing. Then she leaned against the wall, and when I tried to ask her what was wrong, she fainted. I put John in the bedroom and then tried to wake her up, but when that didn't work I checked her pulse and it wasn't there. That's when I called 911 and started CPR."

"Okay," Anne said when he was done telling her what had happened. "Did you ever notice something before? I remember you asking me about her the other day, so something must have happened."

"Yeah," he replied, remembering the day before in the school parking lot. "It was after school, we were walking to my car cause I was taking her to work, and all of a sudden she stopped and grabbed my arm and it looked like she was about to faint. She was breathing really hard. But then she calmed down, and when I asked her what was wrong, she said she was fine. I just assumed it was because she was really tired."

"Huh," Anne said, sounding worried. "I don't know how I missed this. I mean, why wouldn't she tell us something was wrong?"

Ricky wasn't sure if he was supposed to answer the question, but he did anyway. "I think she just thought it was the lack of sleep, too."

"You're probably right," Anne admitted. "So you haven't noticed anything else?"

Ricky quickly checked through his memory for something that related to Amy being sick, but came up with nothing. "Nope, nothing else."

"Okay. Hey, do you think you could bring John here? I'm sure Amy will want to see him when she wakes up."

He quickly agreed and hung up shortly after. John started crying just as Ricky closed his phone, and Ricky hurried up the stairs to attend to his son's needs.

After giving John a bottle he drove them to the hospital. He got Amy's room number from the reception desk, and took the elevator up to the floor she was on. When he turned the corner to get to her room, he saw her parents and sister sitting on plastic chairs across from what he assumed was her room.

"Hey," he murmured quietly as he sat down next to Anne. John was fussing again so he removed him from his carrier and tried to calm him down. Ricky figured John didn't like the hospital very much, and he couldn't blame him. Hospitals made Ricky uncomfortable, too. "So, they're doing more tests?"

"Yeah," Anne replied weakly. "He said they were going to do an EKG and then if that doesn't help, a stress test and something called an electrophysiology study." She saw the confused look on his face and shook her head. "Don't ask me, he tried to explain it, but I still have no idea what it is."

"Is she gonna be okay?" He wasn't quite sure if he really wanted to know the answer, but he had to ask.

"The doctor thinks so," Anne said encouragingly. "He thinks that there's a good chance they can fix it so that it doesn't happen again. They just have to be sure of what it is and what's causing it."

Ricky nodded his head, relieved, and looked down at his son who had stopped fussing. John was just watching Ricky.

"It's alright, little guy. Your mom's gonna be fine."

* * *

**A/N: so I hope you liked it!! There's still time for your guesses as to what's wrong with Amy, and I suggest you look at webmd, cause that's where I got it....I know, I'm a subtle hinter...**

**Again I'm sorry for the wait and the lack of length, but the next chapter will be better, I swear...I'm getting my friend to whip my butt and get me to work on this story. If it makes you feel better, I did end up getting sunburned (and I have a white spot on my knee in the shape of a square) and the car ride was, uh, _interesting_...  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: don't own it**

**A/N: Longest chapter EVER!! Wooo!! I hope this makes up for the late-ish update. All I can say is I'm a lazy ass. Some fluff in this chapter, and sorry if the hospital thing is unrealistic, my knowledge is based off shows, movies, and the internet seeing as I've never had to stay in one (I was even born at home--by accident!). Again, thank you so sos os os osooss so sos osso much to those who read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted!!! You rock my socks OFF!! And a special thank you to those who encouraged me to write, WRITE, W R I T E!!  
**

* * *

They had been waiting about four hours when Amy was wheeled back into her room. Ricky had rested his head against the wall and John was sleeping against his chest. His eyes were closed and he was close to dozing himself when he heard Anne quietly gasp and mutter, "Oh, Amy."

His eyes popped open, and he quickly turned his head to see what she was talking about. A couple nurses were wheeling Amy's bed into her room. She looked so small and fragile laying unconscious in the bed, pale and hooked up to several IV's. Ricky quickly straightened in his chair and was about to stand and follow the nurses into the room when the doctor appeared and gestured for them all to stay seated.

"I know you all want to see her, and you'll be able to soon, but there are some things we would like to discuss with you first." The doctor looked middle-aged, had graying brown hair, and possessed an air of calm that Ricky found comforting.

"I don't believe we've met," the doctor said, turning to Ricky and offering his hand. "I'm Dr. Hillock, and this little guy must be Amy's son, John."

"Uh, yeah," Ricky replied, shaking the doctor's hand. "I'm Ricky, John's father."

"It's nice to meet you both," the doctor said warmly. Ricky nodded stiffly, glancing toward Amy's room. "Now, about Amy. We did the stress test and the electrophysiology study, and we figured out what's been going on with her heart. She has a heart condition called ventricular tachycardia. It's basically a fast heart rhythm that starts in the lower part of the heart, and it can lead to ventricular fibrillation, which is what happened to her today. With ventricular fibrillation, the heart beats are so fast and irregular that the heart stops pumping blood altogether." The doctor paused here to let this sink in.

Anne looked close to tears again. "But why did this happen to Amy?" George put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"See, that's the thing. Sometimes, especially with young people, we're not entirely sure what causes it. It may be an electrolyte imbalance caused by giving birth, but that's just one possibility." When the doctor said this, Ricky looked down at the infant sleeping peacefully on his chest, feeling guilty. If he hadn't been so insistent that day in band camp, Amy might not be in this situation right now. "Most of the time it's caused by heart disease, but there appears to be nothing wrong with Amy's heart except for the fact that it beats abnormally fast at times."

George frowned, speaking harshly, "So, what, are you saying that since you don't know exactly what's causing it, you can't fix it?"

Now Dr. Hillock smiled. "Fortunately, there are things we can do to prevent ventricular fibrillation from happening again." At this, the four anxious people breathed a sigh of relief. "There are two main things we can do: we can give her anti-arrhythmic medication or put an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in her chest. Now, I would recommend the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, or ICD, because the medication may have some serious side effects."

"Well, what does the ICD do?" Anne questioned, looking slightly confused.

"It's a small device that uses electrical pulses or shocks to help control abnormal heart rhythms. It basically continuously checks the heart's rhythm, and if it detects a life-threatening rhythm, it sends an electric shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm. It goes under the skin in the chest and a wire threaded through a large vein connects the device to the heart."

Both Anne and George looked wary. "Is it a risky procedure?"

"Not at all," the doctor reassured. "We'll put the ICD under her collarbone on the left or right side of her chest, thread the wires to her heart through a vein, and then she'll be good to go. She can pretty much do anything she would normally do if she has an ICD; the only things she would need to worry about are strong magnetic or electrical fields, and those are only found in industrial settings; electronics and household devices are fine."

Anne nodded, a determined look on her face. "I want the ICD for her."

The doctor smiled and nodded. "Alright, I just need you to sign a few papers, and then we can prep her and do the surgery. You can go in the room in the meantime, we'll come get her when it's time."

Ricky immediately stood with John securely in his arms and strode into her room. He paused when he saw her eyes were open and she was looking at him in the doorway.

"Hey," he said softly, moving to stand near her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," she answered; her voice was weak and cracked, but she had a small smile on her face. Ricky chuckled at her bluntness. "Is John alright?" She was looking concerned at the baby cradled against his chest.

"Yeah, he's just fine. I think he's worried about his mommy though, he's been fussing and crying all day." Amy smiled at this and reached for the infant, stroking his peaceful face. He turned toward her touch and sighed in his sleep. "See? He missed you."

"I guess so," she whispered, keeping her eyes on her son.

They were both startled when the door shut. They turned to see her parents in the room along with Ashley.

"Hey, Amy," Anne said, approaching the side of Amy's bed as Ricky moved toward the wall and out of the way. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," she replied, causing Ricky to smile at her attempt to keep her mother from worrying. "What happened, though? The last thing I remember is taking John upstairs after his bath, and then I woke up here."

"Oh honey," Anne said looking at her daughter sympathetically while she stroked her hair. "You fainted, and your heart stopped. Ricky had to give you CPR and the paramedics had to shock your heart to get it to start again. The doctor says you have a condition where your heart beast really fast, and it started beating so fast that it stopped pumping blood." Anne's face then turned from concern to slight anger. "And why didn't you tell us when you weren't feeling alright? We could have taken you to the doctor and prevented all this."

Amy looked ashamed. "I thought it was happening because I wasn't getting enough sleep, and I didn't want to worry you if it was nothing."

"Well," Anne said with a stern expression on her face, "next time you _will_ tell us if something is wrong, especially now that we know you have this condition."

Amy just nodded sheepishly, playing with her fingers in her lap.

"And," Anne continued, catching Amy's attention, "you're gonna have to have a surgery in a couple minutes to put an ICD in your chest, which will stop this from happening again."

Amy looked a little alarmed. "W-what's an ICD?" she asked, stuttering nervously.

"It's gonna be fine, Amy," Anne replied, trying to soothe her daughter. "It's just a little device that will stop your heart from getting out of control again. It'll go near your collarbone and some wires will connect it to your heart. The doctor said it's an easy procedure, and when you're done recovering you should be able to do everything normally."

"Okay," Amy said hesitantly, relaxing slightly into her pillows. Turning her attention back to Ricky holding their son, she asked, "Can I please hold John?"

Anne hesitated and glanced at George who shrugged. "We're not sure, honey," she replied. "We don't want you to strain yourself."

"I'll be fine, mom. Please?" she begged, "I just want to hold my son."

Anne sighed in defeat. "How about we put a pillow on your lap and put him there?"

Amy nodded in agreement, she would do about anything to be close to John right now. She pulled one of the pillows out from behind her back and laid it across her lap. Ricky moved to her bedside and leaned over her, gently placing their sleeping son on his back atop the pillow. He stirred slightly in his sleep from the loss of warmth, but Amy placed her right hand over his stomach and he immediately stilled.

"Hey, baby," she whispered softly, stroking his cheek with her left hand. "Mommy's here. I love you." The three others present in the room couldn't help but smile at the tender moment.

However, the moment was interrupted when a small nurse walked into the room, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said quietly, "but we're ready for her now. But I promise she'll be back in around two hours, and then we'll leave you alone."

Amy nodded mutely and looked back to her baby. Picking him up into her arms, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead before holding him close. "I'll be right back," she whispered into his ear. When she pulled him back she noticed his eyes were open and he was just gazing at her. Smiling at him, she carefully handed him to Ricky. Once he was out of her arms he started wailing. It pained her to see him like this, but she knew she would see him soon and Ricky would take care of him.

"Okay," the nurse said, moving farther into the room, "I'm gonna have to ask you guys to step outside into the waiting room and we'll come get you when she's out of surgery."

Ricky obediently followed her parents and Ashley out of the room, desperately trying to calm his screaming baby. He noticed that Ashley had grabbed John's bag and carrier and he smiled gratefully towards her. She gave him a small smile back. When they arrived in the waiting room, Ricky grabbed a bottle of formula from John's bag and got the baby to eat. He sighed in relief when the wailing stopped. Sitting in the chair next to Ashley, he again settled in to wait.

It was about an hour and a half later when Ricky had just gotten John to sleep again that Dr. Hillock came into the waiting room in green scrubs with a smile on his face. All four people present immediately sat up anxiously. "Well, the surgery was a success. We put the ICD on her left side and connected it to her heart. It's fully functional. She's in recovery right now, but you'll be able to see her in a couple minutes, and she'll be able to go home tomorrow. Now, I do want her to take it easy for a couple weeks, but in about a month she should be back to normal. Do you have any questions?"

Ricky couldn't think of any; he was just so relieved she was going to be alright.

"What about school?" Anne asked with a frown. "I mean it's over this week, but she has to go to summer school soon."

The doctor nodded thoughtfully. "Well, in two weeks I don't see why she can't go; she wouldn't be able to do a full day, but she should be fine for a couple hours a day. And I'm afraid she'll have to hold off on working for a month until she's back to normal."

Ashley snorted. "I'm sure she'll just hate that." Ricky chuckled as her parents gave her reprimanding glares. The doctor seemed amused.

"Okay, so if you don't have anymore questions, I'll be going, and a nurse will come get you when Amy's ready." The doctor smiled.

George stood in front of Dr. Hillock and extended his hand, smiling gratefully. "Thank you so much, Doc. If you ever need anything, just give me a call."

"It was my pleasure," he said with a warm grin, shaking Anne's hand before waving at the two teenagers and disappearing down the hall.

"Huh," George muttered when everyone had settled back into their seats. "I wonder how devastated Amy will be when she finds out that she can't go to school or work for a couple weeks."

Anne smiled and playfully smacked his arm. "I'm sure she'll be just crushed." They all laughed and settled into a comfortable silence.

Ten minutes after the doctor left the same nurse as before walked into the waiting room with a smile. "She's awake and won't stop asking about little John."

They all stood up and Ricky grabbed John's bag while Ashley again took his carrier. They followed the nurse to a different room that was a lot more comfortable with two padded chairs and a small sofa. The sky outside the window was clear and dark, the crescent moon easily visible. They walked in to see Amy in a sitting position in the bed, and she immediately reached for John when Ricky entered with the baby in his arms; she already had a pillow situated in her lap. Ricky set the baby bag at the foot of the bed then gently placed John atop the pillow.

"Amy," her mom scolded gently, "you should really get some rest. Let Ricky take John home so you can sleep; I'll stay here with you and your father and Ashley can go home with him."

Amy shook her head in protest. "I want John to stay here with me."

"You've really gotta get some rest, honey."

Amy again shook her head. "Uh," Ricky muttered, not wanting to interrupt. "I can stay and watch John so you two can sleep," he offered. "I don't mind."

She looked at her mom with hope. "Please, mom?"

Anne sighed in frustration, but nodded. "Alright, but you have to rest and let Ricky and I take care of John."

"Alright," Amy agreed quickly.

"It's been a long day," George said walking towards Amy's bedside. "I think it's time we all get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, Ames. Be good and just concentrate on getting better." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Amy smiled at him. "Night, Dad."

George said goodnight to his grandson before walking to the door. Ashley quickly set the carrier next to the bag and slightly smiled. "See you tomorrow." Then they both walked out the door, waving.

"Okay," Anne said, moving to Amy's bed and pressing the button to lower it until it was flat. "Time to sleep." Amy scooted to one side of the bed and placed John beside her, putting the pillow on the other side of him so he wouldn't roll off the bed. Ricky settled into a chair and leaned his head back against the wall, and Anne flipped the lights off before reclining on the sofa.

Even though it was barely 9:00 everyone was asleep within minutes, eager to put the rough and tiring day behind them.

* * *

**There you have it, the diagnosis!! Hope you liked it! So I have two versions swimming in my head right now...I could either end this pretty soon, or prolong it a bit and put in some actual Ricky/Amy stuff, since so far it's all been hinted/implied. Tell me which you would like! And if you have any suggestions, suggest away!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. **

**A/N: Ok, I know there is absolutely no acceptable excuse for taking over three years to update this, so I'm not going to try to give you one. I'm only going to say I'm sorry it took me so long. I hope you can forgive me. I want you to know that I have this story finished, and I will probably be updating with the last chapter tomorrow. Thank you for your reviews of last chapter, reading them is what got me back to writing this. Thank you to whoever is reading this, I hope you enjoy. **

* * *

After a relatively undisturbed night, Amy awoke early in the morning feeling surprisingly well rested and only slightly sore in her chest. She scanned the room and found Ricky sleeping awkwardly sitting up in one of the faded, cushioned chairs, John held securely in his arms. It appeared that the infant was awake, but was content to lie quietly, listening to his father's soft snores and the quiet beeps of the machines connected to Amy. Amy then focused her attention on her mother, who seemed only slightly more comfortable on the sofa than Ricky was on the chair.

As if sensing her daughter's gaze, Anne stirred and sat up, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. As she opened her mouth to speak, Amy quickly gestured for her to be quiet, pointing to Ricky's sleeping form. Nodding her understanding, Anne stood and made her way to Amy's bedside.

Brushing a few strands of hair off Amy's forehead, Anne leaned close to her daughter and whispered, "How are you feeling, honey?"

"I feel fine, Mom," Amy softly replied, slightly smiling to reassure her mother.

Anne still seemed a little skeptical. "Are you sure? You're not in pain? Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No, Mom, really, I feel pretty good." Anne still seemed like she wanted to ask more questions, but John was starting to make his presence known. Anne moved quickly to Ricky's side, trying to calm the child before he woke his father, but it was too late as Ricky's head snapped up and he automatically started rocking his son.

"Did I miss anything?" Ricky asked groggily, wiping his eyes.

"Nope," Anne replied, smiling, "we just woke up a couple minutes ago. Ricky, thank you again for all you're doing, you've been a saint through all this. I don't know what we'd do without you." Tears were starting to form in her eyes, and she couldn't hold back a sniffle.

Ricky shook his head, "Really, Anne, I'm positive that you would've been fine without me, but I'm always happy to help."

Anne looked like she was about to reply when a nurse walked in to check on Amy. Satisfied that Amy was alright, she told them that Amy should be fine to leave the hospital soon, unless her doctor said otherwise. About half an hour after the nurse left, the doctor popped his head in, smiling.

"Amy, I don't know if you remember me from last night, I'm Dr. Hillock," he said, approaching her bed with his hand outstretched.

Amy hesitantly returned his handshake, careful of John cooing on his back in her lap. "I'm sorry, last night is kinda a blur."

"I completely understand," the doctor responded, smiling widely and putting everyone in the room at ease. "Just to refresh your memory, I'm the one who opened you up and put that little box in your chest. We already tested it after closing you up, and it's in tip top shape, so now all I need to do is check your stitches and talk to you about what all this means."

Dr. Hillock explained everything about the ICD, and how long it would be before Amy could get back to work and school. As predicted, Amy could barely hide a smile at the thought of taking a couple weeks off. After explaining everything, he asked if anyone present had any questions.

"Uhm," Amy started, looking slightly embarrassed, "when can I start nursing John again?"

The doctor smiled down at the pleasant baby lying on his mother's lap. "I'll prescribe medications that are safe for nursing when you leave, and a week should be more than enough time for everything that's dangerous for John to leave your system."

Amy nodded, sighing in relief.

"Well, if that's all your questions for now, I'll go start your release forms," Dr. Hillock said, moving toward the door. "Make sure you make an appointment to get those stitches out."

Anne agreed, moving to the door to sign some papers and thank the doctor again.

Ricky moved to Amy's bedside, gazing down at John in her lap. "I'll take him back to your house so that he's settled by the time you get there. If you need me, I can take off work and stay-"

"You don't have to do that," Amy interrupted, glancing up at him. "Me and my mom can handle him for today, and I don't want you to get in trouble at work. You can just go home after work today, I know it's been a stressful couple days," she said, smiling up at him.

He gave her a small smile in return, "You could say that." He then leaned down and scooped John up, letting Amy kiss their baby before gently placing him in the carrier.

"You leaving?" Anne questioned, walking back into the room with a nurse, who started disconnecting Amy from the few machines surrounding her.

"Yeah," Ricky replied, picking up the carrier and diaper bag and moving toward the door. "I'm gonna get John settled in your house so you won't have to worry about him when Amy gets back. Then I gotta head to work."

Anne smiled and nodded. "Ok, we'll be right behind you." With a smile to the three women, he exited the room.

"Ok, girlie," Anne said, turning to her daughter, "your dad is bringing some of your clothes here, and then we can get you out of here."

* * *

Amy was sitting in the car next her dad, having decided to make the trek home with him. He was being unusually quiet, and she knew if she waited silently, he would eventually talk about what was bothering him. When they were about ten minutes from home, he started speaking.

"You really scared me there, kiddo." His voice was uncharacteristically soft, hinting at how serious he was.

Amy didn't quite know how to respond. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, I know it's not your fault. All I'm saying is you can only scare me like that once before there are some serious consequences." He glanced at her, flashing her a small smile. "Like, no dinner for the rest of your life."

Amy gasped in mock horror, "You would never."

"Just try me." His smile faded after a few seconds. "But really, Ames, I might not say it all the time, but I love you so much." He lightly patted her on the shoulder, and this time his glance was filled with only sincerity and love.

"I love you too, Dad," she replied, smiling softly. The rest of the car ride home was spent in a comfortable silence, both appreciating the other's presence.

* * *

Amy had been in bed for only a few hours when she heard the doorbell ring. Thankfully John was already awake and downstairs with her mother. Amy had been enjoying her few hours of relative peace, getting some schoolwork done.

Hearing her mom open the door, Amy sat up in bed. She didn't think it was Ricky, since he was at work and she had told him to go home tonight and relax. It couldn't be her dad or Ashley, since they usually just walked in the kitchen door. She could hear her mom talking to someone, though she couldn't hear what they were saying. She thought she recognized the voice, but she couldn't quite place it.

There were suddenly footsteps on the stairs. Amy thought she could pick up her mother's footsteps, and just as she was wondering who the others belonged to, Anne stepped into her room with John in her arms and pointedly closed the door behind her, effectively cutting off Amy's view of who was behind her.

"Now Amy," Anne began, appearing a little uncomfortable, "you have a visitor. I'll only let him in if you want him here; if not, I'll tell him to come back some other day."

Amy was seriously confused. "Well, who is it?"

Anne gave her a weird look. "It's Ben, of course. He is still your boyfriend, right?"

"Oh," Amy said, slightly surprised at how she had forgotten about Ben. "Yeah, he's still my boyfriend." She paused, then, "You can let him in."

"Ok," Anne replied, slightly skeptical. "If you need me I'll be downstairs with John."

Anne left the room, murmuring something to Ben, who just nodded, entered the room, then closed the door.

Amy wasn't sure what to expect when he turned toward her. His face was an odd mix of frustration and concern.

"What happened, Amy?" he pleaded, moving to sit on the bed next to her. "I've texted and called you nonstop. Where the hell have you been?"

Amy sighed, remembering that she hadn't seen her phone since she and Ricky had bathed John the day before, and even then it was on silent. She hadn't wanted to talk to Ben then, and she didn't really want to talk to him now, but she figured she at least owed him an explanation.

"My mom didn't tell you anything?" She was half hoping her mother had already taken care of explaining everything.

"No," he huffed. "She just told me not to get you too worked up. What happened? We had that fight at school, and then I couldn't get in touch with you at all. I thought you might be breaking up with me."

Sighing deeply, Amy launched into the story, using as few words as possible. When she was finished, she looked up to find Ben with an utterly shocked expression on his face. It quickly morphed into concern, and he reached out to grab her arm.

"Are you sure you're ok? Do you need anything right now? Should you be sitting up like that? My dad can get the best doctors in the world to help you."

"I'm fine, Ben, the problem has already been fixed." Amy was touched by his eagerness to help, but she was getting tired and sore. She just wanted to go to sleep.

"Well, when do you get to come back to school?"

"Not until after summer school starts." Amy really hoped he wouldn't have many more questions.

"Ok, I guess I'll let you get some rest, then." Amy was relieved when he stood to leave. "Call me if you need anything."

Amy nodded, quickly returning his goodbye kiss.

"I love you," he said softly as he was closing the door.

"Me too," she replied, burrowing under the covers as he closed the door and trying to ignore the fact that she had completely forgotten about him.

* * *

Amy awoke in the early morning to John's cries. She slowly slid out of bed, feeling sore but determined to help her son. She had just managed to pull him from his crib when Anne walked into the room.

"Amy," she scolded, "I know it's been a couple of days, but the doctor said that you need to stay in bed for a week. I know it's hard, honey, but you just gotta stay in that bed."

"Mom, I feel fine," Amy responded, gingerly climbing back into bed while quieting John's cries. "Besides, it's not like I went very far."

"You still got out of bed." Anne had put her hands on her hips in frustration. "If you can't stay in that bed, John's gonna have to sleep in another room."

"No!" Amy cried, suddenly in tears. "You don't know how frustrating it is, not being able to take care of him, having to ask everyone else for everything! I hate it! I feel so useless, especially with John! I mean, he has to go to daycare everyday when I'm home! I should be able to take care of him!"

"Oh, honey," Anne said, moving onto the bed next to Amy and sliding her arm around her shoulders. "You're right, I don't know how frustrating this is. But it's only for another couple of days. And you know what? We can make these next days easier. How about you feed John his bottle this morning, and then we'll see if we can get your dad to carry you downstairs to the couch so that you're more involved with things going on."

"Really?" Amy shakily asked, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

Anne nodded, smiling at her daughter. "But, you have to promise that you'll rest. You can't leave that couch unless your father is taking you somewhere or you're going to the bathroom."

Amy quickly nodded, sniffing. "I promise."

Anne smiled. "Good." She then stood, moving toward the door. "Now, let's get that little guy some breakfast."

* * *

**A/N: So there you have it. I know not much happens, but this is the beginning of the end. Again, next chapter will be uploaded very, very soon. I hope I made it exciting, and I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8: The End

**Disclaimer: I don't own it!**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I was so worried that no one would like this or that people would have given up on this, but you haven't, and that means so much to me! So here you go, like I promised, less than 24 hours after last chapter was posted. This is the end, the last chapter I have planned for this story, and I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

When Ricky walked into the Juergens household that morning, he didn't expect to see Amy seated on the couch. He moved around the couch to see what she was looking at and found a happy John in her lap.

"I see you relocated."

Amy jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. She was so engrossed with playing with John that she hadn't noticed Ricky entering the house. She smiled widely up at him.

"Yep." She then returned to playing with John.

Ricky was slightly stunned. "Wow, you haven't been in this good of a mood since…well, since before your surgery."

Amy chuckled. "A change of scenery was much needed."

Ricky nodded, still slightly in shock.

"Ricky," Anne called, poking her head around the doorway to the kitchen. "You here to take John to daycare?"

"Yep," Ricky replied.

"Good. I've gotta get to work." Anne was rushing around the kitchen, picking up her briefcase and an apple for the road. "I'll see you kids later, and Amy, don't forget your promise." She waited for Amy's nod before leaving.

"Promise?" Ricky inquired, turning back to Amy.

"I promised her that I wouldn't get up from the couch." She shrugged, straightening with a slight wince.  
Ricky eyed her warily. "You okay?"

"Fine," Amy immediately replied.

"Good." Ricky reached for their son. "I gotta get him to daycare, before I'm late for school."

Amy kissed John on the cheek. "Will you bring him back here before work?"

"Of course," Ricky replied, moving John to his carrier. "You better be right there when I get back," he teased.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Have fun in school," she shot back.

Ricky just smirked as he grabbed John's bag and headed out the door.

"See ya later."

With that the door closed, and Amy was suddenly left alone. She was slightly grateful for the solitude, because now people wouldn't constantly be asking her if she was okay. And if she was being honest with herself, she was tired and achy. She settled in for a nap, wondering what she would do with herself for the rest of the day.

* * *

Since Ricky had picked John up after school, the baby hadn't stopped fussing.

"I know, John," he said, trying to comfort his son. "We're almost there, buddy."

A couple minutes later, Ricky was relieved to pull into the Juergens driveway. He quickly made his way around the car to John. Pulling the carrier and diaper bag out of the car, he tried to shush the baby.

"We're here, John. You get to see Mommy now, and Daddy gets to go to work."

Ricky moved quickly to the door. "Those old women at the daycare really miss you," he said as he opened the door. "They say you keep them yo-"

He cut himself off as he realized that Amy wasn't on the couch. Ricky tried not to worry, figuring she might be in the bathroom.

"Amy?" he called, placing the baby on the couch. When he didn't receive a reply, he started to worry.

"Amy?" he called again, rushing to first check the downstairs bathroom. When he didn't find her there, he ran to check the kitchen. Not finding her there, he moved back into the living room, making sure he hadn't missed anything.

"Amy?" He was shouting now.

He moved to the stairs, and his heart stopped when he saw one of her feet at the top of the stairs.

"Amy!" He immediately bounded up the stairs, taking three at a time, but not able to get to her quick enough.

She was sprawled on her stomach, her hair fanned out around her head. Ricky quickly knelt down beside her and scooped her up into his arms. Brushing her hair out of her face, he frantically searched for a pulse in her neck. He almost cried in relief when he found it. I was a little fast, but it was there.

"Amy, wake up," he called, softly shaking her. Receiving no response, he shook her a little harder, tapping her on the cheek.

Her eyelids started fluttering, and her body slightly tensed. When she opened her eyes, they held confusion as she stared at him.

"Ricky? What happened? When did you get back?"

Ricky huffed, frustrated now that he knew she was okay. "I was hoping you would tell me what happened. I came in and found you passed out, definitely _not_ where I left you."

"Oh," Amy said, trying to sit up to avoid Ricky's accusing glare. Ricky sighed, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her to the couch where he set her next to John.

"I could have walked," Amy grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Obviously not," Ricky snapped back. "What the hell were you doing?"

Amy seemed embarrassed, hesitating to answer.

"Well?" Ricky demanded.

"Fine," Amy snapped. "I was trying to get my brush, I wanted to brush my hair."

Ricky was having a hard time controlling his temper. "You mean you left the sofa, when you promised me and your mother that you wouldn't, to brush your hair? You couldn't have waited until I got back?"

"I just hate having to ask everybody for everything! I wanted to do something for myself!"

"You could have fallen down the steps and seriously hurt yourself!" Ricky couldn't believe she had risked her health for a stupid hairbrush.

"But I didn't!" Amy didn't want to hear Ricky lecturing her.

"No, you just pushed yourself so hard you passed out!"

John started wailing then, disturbed at the raised voices. Amy quickly moved to remove him from the carrier, rocking him in her arms.

"This arguing is getting us nowhere," she remarked, quieter now.  
"You're right. I have to get to work anyway. I have some schoolwork to get done, so I can't come over tonight." With that Ricky grabbed his keys off the couch and started to walk out.

"Wait!" Amy called. Ricky paused on his way to the door, but didn't turn to face her. "You're not gonna tell my mom about this, right?"

Ricky shook his head. "Don't worry," he said tensely. "I won't tell her." With that, he continued to the door and left.

After she finally managed to calm John down, Amy wondered if she had scared Ricky. She hadn't seen him that angry in a while, as he rarely lost his temper. She also wondered if he really had homework during the last week of school.

* * *

The next night after dinner Amy and Ben were talking in the living room. Ben had taken to coming over after dinner every night since Amy's surgery. At first Amy had appreciated the company, but after a while she got tired of Ben hovering over her and talking about everything that she missed at school. Amy had received calls from all of the gang, including Adrian, wishing her well, and she was glad that they respected her wish for only Lauren and Madison to visit. Their visit had been short, but it had been nice to catch up with them.

"Ben, can we please talk about something other than if I'm okay?" Amy questioned, feeling annoyed.

"Sure," Ben replied, seeming a little taken back. His expression then changed into something that Amy couldn't quite read.

"So, has Ricky been over a lot lately?" Ben tried to make the question seem casual, but Amy could sense tension in his tone.

"Uh, yeah, actually," Amy responded, feeling like she didn't need to tell Ben about the small fight between her and Ricky the day before. They had both gotten over it, anyway. "He's been taking John to daycare and bringing him home, and he usually comes here after work to help out. He's been really great lately."

Ben frowned. "I really don't like that he's around so much."

"Ben, we've been over this. He is John's father, so he has the right to be here as much as he wants." Ben's jealousy really bothered her. "Do you not trust me, or something?"

"No, it's not you I don't trust. I just think that since he's been with you already, he might try something again."

"And even if he did, which he wouldn't, you think I wouldn't stop him?" Amy was really getting angry with Ben.

"Well you didn't before!"

"I can't believe you!" Amy shouted. "You're continuously holding something I did way before I even met you against me! It's like you can't get over the fact that I was with someone before you! And you're too busy worrying about me and him that you forget that I'm with you!"

"Well I wouldn't have to worry about you two if you didn't spend so much time with him!" By now they were both shouting.

"He's John's father!" Amy wondered why Ben couldn't seem to understand her reason for seeing Ricky so much.

"That doesn't mean you three have to be together all the time! He can see John without you being there! If people didn't know any better, they would think that you were with him instead of me!" Ben's tone was frustrated and slightly hurt.

Amy opened her mouth to respond, but realized that Ben might have a point. After John was born, her relationship with Ricky had grown. She was spending a large amount of her time with him, and she found she really enjoyed his company. Ricky had become a large part of her life, and she found herself looking to him for a listening ear or a comforting shoulder. He was the first person she called if she had news, and he was the last thing she thought about every night.

Glancing up at Ben, she tried to think of the last time she had said 'I love you' to him and actually meant it. She knew she still had feelings for him, but if she was being honest with herself, things had changed once John was born.

"You're right," she said to Ben, slightly stunned at her new realization. "I do spend more time with Ricky than I should."

Ben seemed shocked that she was agreeing with him. "So, do you think now you could focus on us more?"

"No," Amy said, feeling bad about saying it, but knowing it was right. "Ben, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do this anymore."

"What?" Now Ben was really shocked.

Amy felt horrible about what she was about to do, but now that she realized whom she wanted, she thought it would be cruel to lead Ben on.

"Ben, I don't think that we can be together anymore." Amy knew this would hurt him, but she hoped someday he would find someone who could wholly love him back.

"What? Amy, this was just a small fight. I'm sorry if I was too jealous, I'll try to be better in the future, there's no reason for us to break up-" Ben had gotten to his feet and was now rambling, not quite believing Amy's words.

"That's not the reason," she replied, cutting him off.

"Then, why?" There was real pain in Ben's eyes, and Amy felt tears trying to break through at the thought that she had caused his pain.

"Ben, I will always love you for how wonderful you've been to me these past couple of months, but I don't think you and I were meant to be together."

"That's ridiculous!" Ben exploded, suddenly angry. "I love you!"

"I don't think you do, Ben, not really." Ben was about to disagree when Amy quietly cut him off. "I think you like being in a relationship and having someone to take care of."

Ben furiously shook his head. "That's not true."

"Okay, then I'm sorry," Amy started, hating to say it but having to tell him the truth, "but I don't love you in the same way that you love me, and I can't be in a relationship with you anymore."

"You're serious," Ben said, seeming to deflate and staring incredulously down at her. When she nodded, his face became a mask of anger and hurt. "Fine! If you want to screw up everything that we have for some guy who knocked you up, then go ahead! But don't come crying to me when he doesn't want you anymore!" Ben then grabbed his keys and stormed to the door.

"Oh, and good luck in trying to get Ricky to stay away from Adrian." With that, he turned and slammed the door behind him. After the door closed Amy finally let her tears fall. She knew she had deeply hurt Ben after everything he had done for her, but she also knew it was the right thing to do.

* * *

This was the first time Amy had been outside since she had come home from the hospital. She was sitting in the shade of one of the trees in her backyard, watching Ricky play with John on the blanket next to her. It had been a couple days since the break-up, and Ricky, like everyone, knew about it almost instantly. However, the only time he brought it up was to ask if the rumors were true, and when she had confirmed that they were, he asked if she was okay. He hadn't said anything about it since. Amy wondered if he knew that he was the reason for her breaking up with Ben. Feeling bold in the warm sunshine, she decided to ask.

"So, you're not curious like everyone else about why I broke up with Ben?"

Ricky glanced quickly up at her, then focused again on John. "No, I don't think it's any of my business."

"I think it might be," Amy said, leaning toward him. She decided that she would tell him the truth about her feelings, not caring that he might reject her.

Ricky's head snapped up at her words, his eyes widening when he realized she had moved closer. He hesitated before responding. "And why would it be my business?" Amy thought his voice sounded slightly shaky, and she hoped this was a good sign.

"Because," she started, leaning even closer, "I broke up with Ben because I realized my feelings for you."

"And what exactly are your feelings for me?" Amy thought she heard Ricky hold his breath, waiting for her answer. She decided to be completely honest.

"I'm in love with you," she whispered, and before he could respond, she leaned in and kissed him.

At first he didn't respond, but when he threaded his fingers through her hair and started kissing her back, Amy knew he wouldn't be rejecting her. Feeling his tongue sweep her bottom lip, she immediately opened her mouth and caressed his tongue with hers. Ricky had just lifted her into his lap when John cooed loudly beside them. They broke apart, breathing heavily, and glanced down at the smiling baby.

Ricky chuckled. "He seems almost as happy about this as I am."

Amy just smiled and nodded, leaning against his chest. Ricky started playing with her hair, but something seemed to be troubling him.

"Shouldn't we talk about this more?" He seemed confused.

Amy sat up, seriously looking him in the eye. After a moment, she said, "Do you want to stop what you have with Adrian and be in a relationship with me?"

Before she had time to worry about his answer, Ricky was nodding. "Of course," he replied with total conviction in his voice. "I haven't been with Adrian like that in a long time, anyway."

Amy smiled, placing her hands on his cheeks. "And I want to be with you. And right now, that's all I need to know to enjoy this moment. We can talk about everything later."

Ricky smiled and nodded, gathering her to his chest. They sat quietly under the tree watching John, knowing that although their family was imperfect, it was theirs, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

_The End._

* * *

**A/N: So that's it! I hope you enjoyed the (very long) ride! I'm not gonna say that I'll never come back to this and write an epilogue or some companion pieces, but right now I don't have either planned. This was my first full-length fic, and it was quite a challenge, but I am very proud of it. I hope this answers your questions and lives up to expectations! **

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following; it means the world to me and I honestly couldn't thank you enough!**


End file.
